The Gloomy Celebration - November 11th 2024
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It is November 11. Today is my birthday. I turned 44. When I joined the army, I was 41. When the war started with the annexation of Crimea and the occupation of Donbass, I was 33. So a quarter of my life has been directly tied to the war, and I've spent almost a thousand days in the military.

And we are going through very difficult days right now. North Koreans are fighting against us, Iranian drones and missiles are flying at us, and unfortunately it is still unclear what the Western world will decide regarding our support for us.

Almost a thousand days in the army. Trust me, that's a lot for someone who never thought about building a military career and was already planning a pre-retirement life without previously very frequent Middle East trips or other adventures.

This almost a thousand days in the army means really a lot. Because in 2022 I was given only a couple of weeks to live. All our nation was given only two weeks. Three worlds was ready to sacrifice us for... I still don't know for what.

Maybe for an illusion that for the Russians the destruction of Ukraine will be enough and they will not go any farther. Stupid and dangerous illusion. And very pricey. But we survived. And thanks to my brave brothers and sisters in arms I can live to one more birthday.

Today is also my mother's birthday, she gave birth to me on her own special day. And it's also my brother's birthday, he's only 20 minutes older than me, but I don't even want to mention him, that traitor who's still sitting in Moscow.

When I first celebrated my birthday in the army in November 2022, I had a hope for a miracle. After all, it was on November 11 that the First World War ended. So why couldn't this war end on November 11 as well?

But nothing happened when, and nothing in 2023 either, and now in 2024 it's just another day of war, nothing special, just the same as the nearly thousand days before it.

I've never had any particular rituals connected to my birthday and even if I had, I wouldn't be able to keep them. Many of the people who used to congratulate me have died, some have cowardly fled the country and others are now going through their own tragedies linked to the loss or injury of their loved ones, so they certainly don't have time for me. A gloomy celebration, right?

But really, none of our holidays are joyful right now. Still, I'm grateful to have you and to be able to tell you everything honestly. Well then, happy birthday to me.